9th March 2002 

Allan Smart may be forced to sit out Saturday’s important clash. The in-form striker went over an ankle in training on Thursday and although he is included in the squad to face Wigan at the JJB tomorrow, his appearance will be subject to an early morning fitness test. If Smart misses out tomorrow then Latics will have lost three strikers within the space of a week, David Reeves is out with an eye injury and John Eyre underwent a double hernia operation on Monday. RETURN OF THE HITMAN

It has been exclusively revealed to the Official Site that Tony Carss is back in contention after recovering from injury and coming through a number of reserve fixtures. Carss is a fans' favourite and his skills and movement earned him Player of the Year last season. His last game for the Club was back on 8th September against Blackpool at home. That day the Latics enjoyed a good victory, Darren Sheridan and Lee Duxbury finding the net on that occasion. Sheridan and Duxbury are also both included in the chosen squad for tomorrow incidentally. Perhaps that may be the good Omen to spur the lads on to three points at the JJB. 

Reeves told to rest up 
David Reeves has seen a specialist for his injured eye and has been told not to train until next Monday, when he is due for another check-up.  The 34-year-old striker was hit full in the face by a ball during the warm-up session before Tuesday night's derby game against Bury. He was knocked backwards in the freak accident and lay on the ground before team-mate Matty Appleby realised he was in real trouble. Reeves recovered to start the game, but had to come off after 28 minutes as he was unable to see in one eye and suffering from double vision in the other. He has been ordered not to train or even run until Monday at the earliest when he will again be assessed. One eye is badly bloodshot and there are concerns he may have a detached retina, which could mean surgery for the experienced player.

Reserves crash to City loss The reserves drew 1-1 with Manchester City's second string in the Manchester Senior Cup last night, but lost out in a penalty shoot-out. The round-robin set-up of the localised competition means that there has to be a result on the night, but that haunted The Latics in the end as they slipped to a narrow 4-3 loss in the spot-kicks.
Injury-jinxed Wayne Gill, who has only played three senior games since becoming former boss Andy Ritchie's record £75,000 signing from Tranmere, was on target last night. His goal counted for little as City eventually came through the tie and assured themselves a place in the final. The Latics could yet meet them in the last two clash, but they first have to beat Manchester United reserves - at Boundary Park on Monday night - and Bury on a date which is yet to be fixed. Kennedy back for Latics battle 
Peter Kennedy is set to return following suspension as Wigan aim to win the 'battle of the Latics' with neighbours Oldham tomorrow.  The main concern for Wigan chief Paul Jewell surrounds injured pair Gary Teale and Matt Jackson, both of whom look likely to miss out. They were injured during the midweek win over Cambridge and, while Jewell will give them as long as possible to recover, the signs are not good. He will be looking for an improvement in defence and Jackson's place will probably go to Ian Nolan, who came on to replace him during the Cambridge win. Similarly, Paul Dalglish, who replaced the injured Teale in midweek, will also probably be given the nod should he fail to recover. Jewell will be looking for his front line of Andy Liddell and Lee McCulloch to carry on where they left off against Cambridge, the pair earning great praise from their manager for their efforts in the 4-1 win. Liddell said: "It should be a cracking game because Oldham are challenging hard for the play-offs. We battered them at their place but they snatched a lucky goal at the end to force a 1-1 draw." Meanwhile Oldham will be missing their influential midfielder Paul Murray for the clash. Wigan (probable): Filan, Nolan, De Vos, De Zeeuw, McMillan, Green, Mitchell, Dinning, Dalglish, Liddell, McCulloch.

Latics ready for summer spending spree 
Chairman Dave Whelan has sounded a battle-cry ahead of a round of summer spending by vowing to break the bank for a new striker.  The Latics have as good as given up on making the play-offs this season, forcing the multi-millionaire owner and his boss Paul Jewell into long-term planning. And the summer will see Jewell splash the cash, with a striker top of their priorities. Wigan have tried and failed for much of the season to land a proven goalscorer with Jewell in the market for a number of potential front men including Mansfield's soon to be free-agent Chris Greenacre and Shrewsbury's Luke Rogers. Greenacre still remains a realistic summer target, especially as he would be on a Bosman free, but Whelan is aware, and prepared, that the Latics may well have to spend big to get the right man. In talking to local fans' groups, Whelan has revealed that he is - in his own words - ready to "break the bank" to land the right man. And that could mean Jewell aiming even higher than the likes of Greenacre and Rogers. But one player the Latics will definitely not be signing is midfield target Damien Johnson. Wigan had a keen interest in the Northern Ireland international but he has signed a deal with Birmingham today.